


i'll remember it all (even after time stops)

by theskyistoofar



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Comedy, Found Family, Slice of Life, look how soft they are for each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:47:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29556549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theskyistoofar/pseuds/theskyistoofar
Summary: random drabbles and attempted comedy with dreamcatcher in a high school setting.will this have a coherent plot? probably not.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 25





	1. we'll look back to this, won't we?

**Author's Note:**

> i have no clue what ships will show up. i just want all of them and refuse to choose.  
>   
> also, have no experience in writing and the tenses are probably bad,, sorry?  
> cross-posted on AFF

Minji had always liked the way the smaller streets around her school looked. They were never busy enough to have cars constantly on the road, but were sufficiently developed to give the modern look. It gave a sense of comfort, like she'd be able to memorize the small things and keep them in her heart. The shops on her path, the way the people would greet her warmly. She knew, this was home.

She'd been living here her whole life. There had been no reason for her to switch or live away from her family, with her parents keeping stable jobs and the area boasting good private schools. They had enough to support themselves as they were. 

As a result, she had no experiences of ever being the 'new kid'. It helped that she was blessed with good looks, and had manners. Everyone gravitates towards kind people, and she was no exception. It didn't take long before everyone living around the area became fond of her. She had no real experience living somewhere, where she didn't have the comfort of having people she knew, close to her.

Her final year had started two weeks ago, and even with the excitement and fear of ending her years spent in school, she was in a better mood than usual. For someone who had everyone she knew and loved in a small town, it sounded a bit weird for her to get so thrilled. 

In truth, she was scared. There was a big, scary world filled with mean people. None of whom cared if they displayed a lack of kindness. What seemed so important to her, wouldn't be so, for most.

Having to think about her future for the last two years, it was a recurring pessimistic approach. She still felt like there had to be something to look forward to. Minji's way of thinking had but a simple core.

'There was something trivial that would make her happy, at all times'.

She kept this close to her heart, hoping to soothe the disarray whenever it rose. To her, it was something as small as the colour of a pink sky - something that used to give her such joy. Her favourite colour. Splattered across the sky, for all to see, as if the world was telling her, there's something she could use to keep her spirits high whenever it dipped.

It could even be the sound of her friends laughing along with her at one of her puns. Minji thought she was hilarious, but to everyone else, her jokes were mediocre at best. It's not like they didn't laugh, it was just better not to encourage more cringy pick-up lines. She could really enjoy the little things of being surrounded by people she loved, and hoped it would last for as long as possible.

Her friend Siyeon, who was a year younger, was a part of the same club. Siyeon knew the world was vast in its own rights, but hadn't felt like she'd conquered anything of importance. Even something that seemed small to her - like cracking on a high note, felt terrible. That was what she was good at. Because of this, it was obvious to Minji that Siyeon had her own problems, just like everyone else. It made her seem so human, because sometimes, truly, Minji forgets. Siyeon always seemed like someone who could take the world on by herself. She learnt that everyone, even someone as angelic as Siyeon, could use a friend to rant their worries off to.

Siyeon had this aura about her - anyone would know that she had confidence in herself. And, she did. Her singing skills went unmatched in their school, if not the whole city, for years, and she went on to be known for being amazing at all sorts of musical terms that Minji couldn't even count on one hand. What started as appreciation and surprise, turned into newfound respect. The girl could belt and hit higher notes than Minji had ever attempted seriously.

Minji didn't understand the gifts of nature, but one thing she could be thankful for, was that she ended up gaining two life-long friends already.

Han Dong had come to Korea for high school. To live here, before pursuing her career, and if it didn't pan out - she'd probably go back home for university and entrance exams, though dejected. Maybe she'd try theatre or classical music, and acting had always been an interest. 

Even though they had only known each other for a year, they'd grown closer in small steps.

With Minji being more on the extrovert side, she decided to almost 'adopt' the Chinese girl as her friend, hoping she could offer some consolation for the nervousness she would be feeling. She obviously didn't know how it would be, living in a completely different country, not being able to speak the language as fluent as one would like. It was something only strong, courageous people would even think of doing. 

Han Dong was definitely one of them. She was the same age as Siyeon, a year younger to herself, and absolutely adorable. Something about her personality, just made Minji want to root for her.

They had met, when Minji saw her stumbling around the hallways, absolutely lost, and realised she probably needed help and no one actually bothered to stop and offer it. Ever since that day, Minji had made it a point to wave to her and slowly, their friendship bloomed.

When she introduced her to Siyeon, it was awkward. It's never not awkward to meet your friends friend by mistake, and everyone involved just feels weird about it. By their third meeting, Han Dong had relaxed enough for a longer conversation, and they got to know each other enough to build an underlying sense of comfort.

The two friends soon learnt that Han Dong had taken the opportunity to come study here, because of her (needless-to-say) great grades and desire to make it in the entertainment industry. She had a dream, and such a drive to fulfil it - that the language barrier was something she would choose to overcome.

Plus, the experience - there was that word again - made it that much more fruitful. When would Han Dong ever get a chance like this again? She had to take the leap - and learn as she lived. 

Experience, was something everything in the future would demand. For Han Dong, it felt like either she came here, and got a chance to prove something to herself, or she went back with more knowledge than she'd ever gain from never pushing for what she really wanted to do.

The three of them had a pact. First, and possibly the most clear, they'd stay friends forever. It was the thing all friends did in school, and surely, they were different. 

That was a given, since they rarely even fought, and even if they did - it was almost always over where and what to eat after a long, arduous day of school.

Surprisingly, Minji almost always won. Because Minji was the worst at every game possible. Maybe the rock-paper-scissor gods loved her, or her weirdly unique mind-trick of staring at the back of her palm actually worked - it didn't matter.

Caramel popcorn - something Minji had gotten addicted to recently. Not like she would care to resist, anyway. Her other philosophy in life, she would say, 'Live and eat comfortably'. And follow that, she did. But it did help that Minji could eat just about anything. 

She didn't mind, and offered to give her chance to the other two more than a few times. Siyeon and Han Dong definitely wouldn't refuse such a warm gesture. Plus, sometimes tteokbokki is just what the soul needs.

Yesterday they had gone to a well-known Chinese restaurant that Han Dong had wanted to go to. She had been excited for a week, at least, and kept talking about going there. It was expensive and faraway, but for Han Dong to feel at home, and eat her favourite hotpot - Siyeon felt she'd give Han Dong her entire savings.

The second promise was to keep in touch, no matter what. They'd dedicated and decided a particular time every month where they would make time to call and talk about whatever they could. It was for when Minji would have to leave for university. Siyeon felt stuck in the middle. One final year, and then she'd no longer have them at arms distance. It gave her the worst heart tug she'd felt.

Han Dong would become busier, and so would she, although Siyeon was still confused about how to go about having the 'career talk' with her parents. She knew they assumed that she'd take the 'sane' choice.

The prospect of surviving her final school year having to deal with schoolwork, club activities and the great decision of 'What the hell do I do as a career?’, more alone than she'd ever been, left her feeling quite helpless.

After that, she still had the rest of college, or whatever she'd decide to do. She had a passion for music, singing, composing and all of it. It was something she was both good at, and knew she could fulfil, given the support.

But it just didn't come. Her family wanted the best for her, which they thought was a safe career in something common. They assumed she was too young to understand all of it, yet. It was a very real possibility that the world wouldn't appreciate her talents just because she was talented, but Siyeon knew very well - the odds of making it, weren't exactly a hundred percent.

Which is why, she dreaded having to go through that talk. She didn't want to choose between what she wanted to do, and what would make the most sense to do. Sometimes, she turned to Minji for help, hoping that the older girl would be able to offer some wisdom. 

And, she did, but it wasn't what Siyeon was looking for. A clean answer, where she wouldn't be the one making the decision - even though Siyeon didn't shy away from responsibilities. She just didn't want this one.

But Minji knew all too well, not to give her a false sense of hope, but she also believed that Siyeon had everything to really make it big.

It wasn't as though Siyeon didn't love her family. They didn't say it often as words, but they expressed it clear and true, going both ways. It was just awkward to say it aloud and quite honestly, they just weren't the kind of family to push through the embarrassment. Her parents supported her. It was just a little wary of potentially leaving their child exposed. 

Even though they had complete trust in her, it was their simply a protective nature towards their youngest daughter, and trying to prevent her from having to face disappointment if she didn't make the brutal cut.

Minji, on the other hand, lived a life free of the shackles of concealing her love for the people around her. Growing up, she'd probably told her parents that she loved them every day, and hearing it being said back, had cemented the loving nature of her soul. Like if the warmth of the Sun's rays had been condensed into a tall, always smiling human.

She could say those three words as easy as she could count to seven. It turned Siyeon's entire perspective upside-down. She couldn't believe that Minji just, sort of says it, every chance she gets. It was more 'special' to Siyeon, something that she only felt comfortable saying quietly when she absolutely couldn't hold it back - but to Minji, it was more special to let them hear it, and know that they knew.

They both could feel when Han Dong missed her family. She talked about her friends back home, and the two of them would listen intently, trying to keep up with Han Dong's innate way of going off-track with her side stories and her little mashups of Korean words, that wouldn't make sense originally, but they knew what she meant.

As a way to understand each other better, they'd teach each other colloquial words in Korean and Chinese respectively, trying to bridge the gap of language that Han Dong was also trying to fill with her extra Korean coaching classes (which she didn't need, but as long as she felt more confident speaking more) - and it was more fun this way.

Of course, the first few words Siyeon wanted to learn were curse words, and Han Dong obliged, only because it was funny to hear Siyeon try her best to pronounce the tongue twisters she'd made Siyeon attempt as an exchange.

The last two of Minji classes were cancelled for God-knows-what reason, but the main thing was - they were cancelled. Something about the teachers having other work to do. No one in the class really wanted to question it, and they took the free time happily.

With no more classes left at the end of the day, they could work on their club activities for the week.

Honestly, Minji felt like she'd drop being in clubs for the final year, like people often do - to take time and focus on entrance exams, and doing so much studying they forget to have fun. But Siyeon and Han Dong managed to convince her to take it easy, because she had to leave her final year with the best memories.

The music club was fun. All three of them thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it, even with all the competition and popularity wars, favouritism and all those shenanigans. It was fun because they all had passion for it.

Minji had practised her singing so much throughout her years being a part of the club, and with this being her final year, she was a part of the seniors. The farewell ceremony which was a collaboration of the most popular clubs or, more rightfully put, the clubs that had the most funding, was the 'goodbye' to those in their last year of school.

The show was hosted by the school during the weeks before the final exams, and everyone except the truest form of introverts would take part.

Not that Minji blamed them. It was not a choice, and she knew that people were more comfortable being their own type of person, than what school wanted to force them into being.

She'd participated before, as the younger students got a chance to put a few shows on as well. Except this time, the farewell was for her and those her age. She turned eighteen and all this while, looked forward to it. She'd have to study her best and get into one of the top universities which would undoubtedly secure her future, or so people said. Though the whole concept of studying more than she slept wasn't a welcome idea, she felt it was required, as these exams were too competitive.

If only she could get into a good university, if only she could get a scholarship, and a million more 'ifs' that only piled onto the stress that wasn't something she felt she should be feeling at her age.

Her plan was to spend most of her time in the school's library, for some peace and quiet, and hope the rest of her club can put together something, because while she didn't want to 'waste' her time with club activities, she did really want to have a fun, memorable last year with her closest friends.

As Minji entered the library, she bid farewell to Siyeon and Han Dong through text, as they didn't share the same classes. Siyeon, who would rather go home and get her share of 'homebody' time, than stay back at school and study most of the time. She didn't know how someone like Siyeon could be both energetic and silent.

When she sang, it was like the whole world would turn to look. But when she was just Siyeon, and not singing - she would more often just give her share of well-crafted facial expressions including the most 'Siyeon' faces of it all: the blank stare of betrayal and the nose-scrunch when she doesn't want to laugh at Minji's horrible jokes, but she can't hide the smile. There were quite a few of those, and it made all the embarrassment of having to say things that sappy, fade away.

Han Dong had already left for practice when it was announced that her last teacher wasn't feeling too well and let them off early. She was finally getting the better at handling the nervousness that these pesky auditions and training always brought.

Minji had just started to really understand the words on the page, instead of just reading the same line over and over. She tried to bring her focus back to her Geography book and tried to focus on the stupid words in front of her. So stupid. Why was this a thing again? She was suddenly filled with happiness about this being the last year she'd ever have to study these subjects. Even if she was good at memorizing things, it was only if she was interested. For this subject? She was definitely not.

Her friends were the only reason Yoohyeon felt like attending school today. It was one of those days, where everything just had so much bull shit going on already, that she woke up thirty minutes late and immediately 'nope-d' back into her warm covers. Her mom and dad would just have to understand. She almost went right back into her slumber, that was, until she got the notifications of a million messages from her group chat with her DND setting she had setup, perfectly switching off at the worst moment.

Groggily, she opened her left eye and searched for the phone that wouldn't stop giving off sounds, and she truly wondered how she slept through her alarm. Right. She forgot to set one, after talking to the very same people who were interrupting her sleep now, up until 3AM about 'why dinosaurs weren't cute'. A very important debate, she'd say.

One worth losing sleep over, especially if that reason led to skipping school. It was just one day.

But of course. Bora and her friends would never let her off that easily. She needed to (playfully) bully her to the ends of the Earth, every day. Not like it didn't go both ways though, Yoohyeon had her fair share of moments. She had her tricks. A simple use of 'idiot' and cleverly adding informal speech had Bora running after her to beat her up. (again, playfully.)

The texts were mostly from Gahyeon, who kept sending voice messages and stickers, whining that she was late, already. As soon as Yoohyeon opened one, she felt her eardrums beg for mercy. Rookie mistake.

On Earth, the sound of a rocket blasting into space was probably louder than anything people would hear in their lifetime. And above that, there was Gahyeon when she wanted to be heard.

Today, she'd guess Gahyeon, Yubin, and Bora couldn't handle the day off without her. How popular, she was. Forced to attend school, because her friends loved to see her half-asleep, clumsily making a fool of herself while wearing the most mismatched clothes. Why on earth did she ever think buying tight neon-pink pants that had green stripes on it, was a good idea? Some might think it was an artistic choice. They'd be wrong. This was all because Gahyeon was too loud and she would not take another second of hearing that, and would rather die peacefully in a Math class.

Yoohyeon hated Math.

And like she knew from the moment she woke up, everything went wrong today.

She hadn't brought the homework for English even though she had finished it. She could see it in her memories, sitting on the edge of her study table, waiting to be put into her bag. 

To top it all off, lunch wasn't even good.

What a disaster of a day. Murphy's Law, as she'd learnt somewhere.

Maybe she should've sat in bed and lost her hearing to Gahyeon's argument that she couldn't leave her to fend off school alone. Yubin, standing next to her like as if they didn't share most classes, just wanted to reach school on time. And for that reason, had taken Gahyeon's side, because it was the quickest way for this to be settled.

Bora was having a much better day than Yoohyeon was. Today, they had the club vote for deciding the Dance Club President. Bora, of course, was gunning for the seat, and anyone would guess right if they thought she'd win it. By the end of school, the votes were counted and Bora, rightfully and as skilled as she was, got the position for the rest of the year. She had wanted it so badly, and this would be her final chance to get it. Here she was.

She was excited to tell her friends. Sure, she had friends her own age. But no one would match her level of chaos, or at the very least, understand it like these three would. Even though they were younger than her, they'd known each other for years. Even so, from the moment they really met, it was like they were meant to become a part of each other's lives.

Ever since Yoohyeon moved here, and somehow picked a fight with Bora, of all people, it was the start of a very 'confusing-at-first' but wholesome friendship. Something about Bora being tiny, and Yoohyeon being taller but younger, after they'd bumped into each other quite aggressively which led to Yoohyeon spilling her drink all over herself. Bora hadn't taken it seriously, and found the whole situation funny because she didn't even get a drop on her. And so, they didn't really end up becoming arch-rivals.

They really did care for each other. They just showed it through tough love, but they had their moments. Sometimes Bora couldn't help but show her soft side to the 'kids', as she'd call them. As a retaliation, they'd call her 'grandma'.

At five in the evening, it was time to leave. A successful day at school.

'There weren't a lot of those,' Bora thought to herself.

The day simply couldn't get better, and maybe Yoohyeon just had to prove her wrong, or the world wanted to say 'here, have a treat' and gave her the sight of Yoohyeon battling her way through the crowd of students, down the stairs while waving at her. But then tripping, on what was probably her own shoelaces, to fall flat on her ass and rip her pants.

Safe to say, Yoohyeon's worst day, ended up being Bora's best, so far this year.

Bora's laughter could probably be heard from another continent. She felt bad after a few seconds, of course, but first - one must laugh at their friends if they embarrass themselves. This was the law of the world. 

After what seemed years to Yoohyeon, Bora finally helped her up and stood behind her to protect any shred of her dignity left, and as Yoohyeon would put it - 'please strike me with lightning instead, next time'.

Having Bora there didn't really help, she had already gone through all the five stages of grief in those few seconds. Yet another horrible memory to recall only as she'd try to fall asleep. Weren't there enough of those already?

Yoohyeon would actually have hated today. But since Bora was having such a fun time laughing at her, and had messaged her with a billion happy emojis about securing President of the Dance Club, she felt like if Bora's day was going so well, there's no way to feel so bad, right? (This was a lie, Yoohyeon wanted nothing more than to fold like a taco into her blanket and never come out again.)

Bora did actually do the chivalrous thing and yell for Yubin to bring her sweater that she always kept stored close-by. But what happened, had happened, and this would be Yoohyeon's legacy. She'd be teased about this for the rest of the year, and none of them would ever let her forget it. If she didn't love them all to death, she would probably hate life right about now. 

Yubin had suggested in the morning that they get some ice cream later. Now, to somehow save Yoohyeon's horrible disaster of a day, she reiterated it.

Yubin just wanted ice cream. But this was fun too. Thankfully, after Yubin had finished laughing at Yoohyeon as well - she offered to walk behind her just in case.

Yoohyeon would cling to Yubin's right arm for the rest of the evening. She kept recalling her moments and whining to the trio about being forced to come to school, just for this to happen. All in jest, there was no real perpetrator here. It was just Yoohyeon being clumsy and impatient, as she was.

They took the shortest path and waited outside the shop for Gahyeon and Yubin to buy the dessert. It would help, Yoohyeon hoped. Honestly, she would never get over it but, at least she had her friends to save her from walking around with a hole on her behind. They came back with four cups and a double scoop for Yoohyeon which Bora had paid for. She really did feel bad, but it was so hilarious and something that would only ever happen to Yoohyeon, that they just had to pounce on the opportunity to clown her to death.

Gahyeon and Bora were still talking about it, laughing about Yoohyeon's motions as she fell and how she just sat there blankly, with the palest expression. There was really no getting out of being teased here. She sighed. She'd put up with it, though, mumbling a few obscenities as if it mattered. Then, Yubin made a joke about finally being able to throw away these horribly designed pair of pants, and the three descended right back into laughter. Yoohyeon just buried her head in her hands and hoped to never go through this again. One of these days, they'd make a mistake and she could finally regain some respect and dish out her revenge.

After her final class of the day, Siyeon pulled out her phone and checked for any notifications. She had more than few Instagram likes and comments, mostly on her semi-famous song cover account, and a bunch of texts from Minji and Han Dong. She wasn't lucky enough to have her classes cancelled like those two, and also had to attend the Music Club's meeting for their own committee member proceedings. Then, she had to attend her singing academy till late evening.

In the beginning, it had been so much fun to be a part of both, but lately it felt like more of a chore that she hated doing. Not that she had started to dislike singing, she just felt out-of-touch with doing it, because she no longer felt like it was the only sure thing in her future.

As the club meeting ended, she made her way out of the main school doors and had barely made it past the railings of the short stairs, when the girl in front of her fell flat to the ground after tripping on something. She instinctively tried to catch the girl but she had already fallen and the sound of cloth ripping was yet another nail in the coffin.

As far as being nice goes, Siyeon was having a tough day, so she really didn't bother holding back the bundle of laughter that came barrelling out. She quickly tried to regain her composure and hoped that she didn't make the girl feel too bad about herself, and pretended to not see it, as a futile attempt. The girl was literally right in front of her, it didn't make much sense.

She quietly mentioned to her that her pants didn't really hold up, in case she hadn't noticed, and hoped that would save her karma. Seeing her defeated expression, it helped that there were a bunch of other people laughing too, who she then learned were the girl's friends. She somewhat recognised a few of them - the school only had a few hundred students, and their faces seemed familiar.

Siyeon took her leave, as she walked towards a taxi station, Siyeon couldn't help herself and allowed a few more chuckles at the poor girl's expense. It made her feel a bit better.


	2. i'm happy that it's you

There's something funny about how people gather habits from each other. Sometimes, without noticing it at all, there's little phrases one adopts, and slowly it becomes a part of daily life. 

Yubin had a habit of silently observing those around her. Whether it was on purpose, or she just happened to zone out and out of sheer randomness, a person would stop moving right in her crosshairs - by the time she looked away, she could probably have already noticed something only that person does.

Everyone had their 'idle motions'. Since meeting her, Yubin noticed that Yoohyeon had a (not-so) great habit of biting people. At least she had the courtesy of giving the person enough reaction time to pull away (unlike Bora). Her victim was mostly Gahyeon, who had given in to bearing with it.

Gahyeon and Yubin had known each other since childhood. Their families lived in the same neighbourhood, and their parents were good friends. As a result, they were kind of inseparable. Even though they were the same age, Yubin felt protective of her.

One of Yubin's great traits was that she tried to understand the people around her to their very cores. It helped that she was good at psycho-analysing people, and the whole 'observing people' thing gave her good material for spooking people.

Often, people uttered things to her and then forgot about them. Yubin would remember the small details which sometimes freaked people out. She was invested in the people she cared about, and didn't really understand their perspective, and why it was so weird to remember things people had specifically told her. One of the many things that made her unique.

Gahyeon, for example, had once told her that she was quite afraid of animals. Well, it wasn't exactly a well-kept secret. Because, a week after they'd met, they were playing some childish game at the park, and a large dog was walking along with its owner on the nearby sidewalk.

Gahyeon probably would have fainted on the spot, if she wasn't highly energized from all the sugar that she'd had that day. Since then, Yubin kept a mental note to make sure she could help her feel more comfortable whenever such a situation arose. Gahyeon was the kind of person everyone wanted to take care of. And Gahyeon welcomed it.

She loved the feeling of being tended to, a very common love-language. It helped that Gahyeon was just naturally cute. 

The two had first met Yoohyeon when she moved houses a few years back, a few streets away. They had been walking back home together, and saw Yoohyeon, and as children do, struck up a conversation with her about her different school uniform.

She was still going to another school, and had transferred to their middle school later - where all three had ended up in the same class. And by then, it was destiny.

At some point, Yoohyeon had (quite literally) bumped into Bora, and became friends with the senior. Bora was a part of her own friend group, but slowly, she was pulled away by the charms of younger friends who resembled and reciprocated her chaotic nature.

It was much more comfortable relationship than what she'd had, and adding to the fact that she was the oldest, meaning she'd be respected, right? No, not really. Whatever Bora had in mind; wasn't exactly how it would go. Sure, at first, they all had the facade of being polite to their senior and vice-versa.

But soon, all that peeled away and left only the disrespect that flourished when you got to know each other too well.

While there was some form of courtesy, it was mostly overshadowed by the fact that they were too comfortable with each other to tip-toe around each other with the imposed restrictions of a senior-junior relationship. Bora quickly caught up with this changing notion, and pretended to get mad about it, but honestly, she didn't mind much, as they used honorifics.

She still had her other friends, but no one really came close to these three.

They walked together in pairs behind each other - the sidewalk wasn't big enough for all four of them. Yoohyeon and Bora walked in front, and trying to interfere with each other's ice cream. Those two really never had a dull, peaceful moment.

Bora had the great idea of starting a fight where they'd bump into each other. It was on complete accident, that Bora bumped into Yubin - all because Yoohyeon moved out of the way, trying to make Bora lose her step.

There was a complete turn of mood as Yubin struggled to catch her ice cream in the air - in that single second, begging that her reflexes were enough. Her plastic red spoon though, had the unfortunate chance of falling onto the hard cement floor. Yubin had caught the cup - but now, she had no socially acceptable way of eating her ice cream. They were already too far away from the shop, so going back to get another one would be a chore.

Bora felt sorry and giggled a little at how unfortunate it was. The three girls, all knowing how much Yubin valued her ice-cream, immediately offered their spoons to her.

"Who do you love the most?" 

Bora put on her dramatic announcer voice, wiggling her spoon like a microphone and prompting Yubin to choose one of them.

Yubin didn't think twice and took Gahyeon's spoon out of her hand, happy to share. Yoohyeon and Bora instantly protested - and they were loud.

"Wow, how could you?" Bora yelled, feeling betrayed.

"What's wrong with my spoon?" Yoohyeon's face twisted into a pout. Bora's face was also asking the same question.

Now, Yubin had a choice to make - start a fun little war between the three, or tell them the practical reason for her decision.

Yubin decided to put the axe to rest - before she gave them another chance to mess with her dessert time. 

"Gahyeon's just closer."

Gahyeon stuck her tongue out at the two older girls, having fun being the chosen one.

Bora and Yoohyeon looked at each other and had the same thought, but Gahyeon knew them too well. She was already running down the street with those two behind her, careful enough not to bump into unsuspecting humans, and mindful of her own cup of half-eaten ice cream. Yubin had not bothered to even speed up her pace. She'd reach them, eventually.

Han Dong's first few encounters with Minji, were confusing to say the least. Minji had done a good job trying to make friends with her, but it still made little sense why. A senior, who really had no reason to continue talking to her - did exactly that, and made sure to wave at her from the other side of the hallway.

Minji was tall in the sea of people, and quite impossible to miss as her entire being almost glowed, even after being at school for a few hours. How this girl managed to look that fine after being stuck in a hot classroom full of people and sweating, she would never know.

Whenever she saw Minji, she realised it actually felt good to have a familiar face, and one so comforting at that. Her smile would probably melt the glaciers in Antarctica.

Once, Minji and Siyeon had invited her to go get some snacks after school ended, and since she really didn't want to rush back home to get ready for practice, she gave herself a break and decided to go along with the flow.

They sat down in the stools near the window and ordered some light food, to share - nothing fancy, as Minji said she had quite a satisfying dinner awaiting her.

The three had decided to play 20 questions to get the small things about themselves out of the way, and to give something to talk about that would get rid of the silence. They didn't know each other well enough yet, to already be sitting in silence staring at their phones. Plus, it was rude, when they had invited her along.

The first few questions revolved around family, movies, and music that they liked. Han Dong had watched a few Korean dramas to help with the pronunciation and timing of the particularly difficult words, and to just get more of a feel for conversations in the language. For her own question, she asked Minji and Siyeon for their own favourite colours.

Minji had a grin on her face, almost mischievous and a glint to her eye that Siyeon would have noticed - if she wasn't completely invested in choosing only one favourite colour.

"I'd say brown," Minji giggled.

Siyeon was confused. "Isn't pink your favourite colour, unnie? You literally have everything in pink. I didn't know it changed."

Of course, this was news to Han Dong.

"Ah, really? Why pink?"

Minji just had to say it - she was almost breaking down in laughter fits.

"It's not pink. It's the colour of your eyes, Dong-ah," she said and turned to Siyeon - who already had her face in her hands.

Han Dong was mostly just surprised at the confidence, but her face must have shown her absolute confusion because both of them started laughing at her.

It was kind of adorable. Han Dong was naturally shy, but she had been learning to perfect her expression to be on stage. She was crafting herself to be mysterious, and cool. This, however, had broken her into a blushing mess.

Siyeon felt the need to clarify.

"She's just like that, don't mind her." she said, thoroughly amused. Sometimes, Minji had great timing.

Minji was quite literally dying of laughter - and had started to cough. Siyeon - also laughing - stopped to give a sideways glance of worry, and placed a hand on her back, but couldn't really help. She wasn't choking on anything except air.

The owner of the small food shop had come over and offered Minji a glass of water. They apparently knew each other, and after Minji stopped her coughing fit, the man told her to be more careful. Minji smiled, and promised him she would be, and thanked him for the meal. His wife, also taking part in managing the cosy store, had come out to make sure everything was okay.

After reassuring them both that she was fine, they split the bill and bowed politely while leaving.

As they left the small restaurant, Siyeon chuckled once again - quite embarrassed that they had caused the owners to worry. Minji just smiled, she had a way of absorbing the cringe, like she wanted to be the one causing it. Which of course, led to the many years of torture for Siyeon.

They hadn't finished the game, forgetting about it in the heat of the moment, but Minji remembered and asked Han Dong a final question.

"Do you know any of your classmates yet?"

Minji wanted to make sure she was settling in well. This was the school she’d been attending for her whole life, after all. She had to know if it had been treating Han Dong well. Not to mention, she didn't want Han Dong to feel pressured to be super-close with them, rather as a safe place to fall away to if she needed them. Most people enjoyed having same-aged friends, and it could get burdensome having to focus on being a certain level of polite to your friends, all the time. Han Dong, on the other hand, was liking the duo much more than she had originally planned to.

"I had to introduce myself, for a whole minute, in all of my classes," Han Dong replied, with a hint of annoyance, “but no, I haven’t clicked with anyone yet.”

It wasn't going to be pleasant so soon - to stand up in front of a bunch of peering eyes, and curious glances. It was just these few times, and it was awkward for everyone involved. But she would learn to be better. She was going to take over the world, after all.

It was nice though, because she had the luck of meeting these two so soon. Minji had too much charisma, and a heart of gold. Siyeon gave the most comforting, patient feelings Han Dong had felt since coming here. She hoped to meet more people like them quickly.

Siyeon felt her sympathy for the girl grow, but also, it couldn't be helped. It would take a while for the comfort to creep in, and everything would then become a routine. Including getting to know more people, and forming bonds. The friendly quips and inside-jokes Siyeon and Minji shared, weren’t made in a day.

They didn't say much after that, and walked together until they had to split up, but Han Dong felt like maybe, these were people she would grow to call family.


	3. this heart of mine, you'll understand

It was a few weeks into the first semester of the year, when Minji finally broke. How did people put up with their strict regimen of studying and still keep a social life? It was taking a toll on her, because as the older sibling - she had to set an example for her younger brother.

The responsibility felt heavy on her shoulders, but one she was willing to bear. She had a long way, yet. This was only the beginning, and their tests were already creeping up on them. She still had to keep this up and going for the better part of a year.

Her free periods were taken up by the illusion of studies - because no matter how much she tried to focus, at some point she was more interested in something else. Anything else. She had good memorization skills - which is why, she felt, she was actually doing well in school.

The problem was, there was really no other reason. She had no real interest in studying further and writing exams until she somehow ended up specialising in a field she didn't really care about. She had kept it up for a while, and somehow glided her way into her final year without much to worry about.

But now that everything was that much nearer - in terms of graduation, entrance exams, colleges - it was starting to get too real, too fast.

By the time her free period was almost over, she had only gotten through a quarter of what she had planned to. Great. This meant more to do later - and would lead to sleepless nights, because she refused to fall behind in any of her subjects. It was paradoxical, she slept less - which meant she couldn't focus in classes, and then she would have to rinse and repeat.

Minji closed her books and got up with a sigh. She walked with heavy steps, into her Economics class.

There were still a few minutes before class started. She sat in a chair near the middle. A few students sat near the back of the class, but they would leave soon, for their own classes.

She looked over at the other students, trying to be discreet. They looked like they were having quite a bit of fun. Posing for pictures and taking funny videos of each other. She could probably enjoy being a bystander and watching them quietly.

It would give her enough happiness, just to watch others having fun. Her other friends weren't here yet.

Minji felt tired. It was getting quite harrowing to go through this, and it left little free time to meet up with her friends - or work on her hobbies. She barely had time to talk to Siyeon and Han Dong recently, and with their schedules clashing, Minji could only pout and hope that they could find some free time soon.

She made a mental note to message them and find a time during the weekend that would work for all of them.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned away from the group of friends.

They were going the mile, with one of them trying to jump on top of the extra tables at the back - and the complimentary dramatics that came along with it. The girl tried to do yoga poses, and a few dance moves, pulling one of her friends to stand on it along with her.

Minji didn't even get to open an app before one of the chairs completely shattered and fell under the weight of one too many students on it.

As if Minji was the lucky charm holding all of it together, and the moment she looked away - they were on thin ice and it crumbled.

All of them looked at each other in complete silence - shocked that it actually broke. There was a reason those chairs and tables weren't being used. The sound had travelled out of the classroom doors, into the hallway with what was probably filled with responsible people, and they only had a few seconds to get out before someone came looking.

Honestly, Minji didn't know why they bothered - she didn't think it was any trouble, since there were more than enough excuses they could come up with and more than enough chairs. It would only be suspicious if they ran. And run, they did.

As far as comedic timing goes, the bell rang a second later, leaving everyone in a state of panic.

Before she could even say anything, one of the students on the floor with the shards of furniture, got up and dashed out of the room - obviously meaning for all of them to follow. The other three students ran after, laughing at the short girl - who was still on the floor, near the pile of a broken chair and its pieces. It should've hurt. Minji went over to help her.

"Are you okay? That looked like it hurt."

The girl just got up like she was unscathed - her expression consisting of sheer panic - and busted out of there as fast as she could. Adrenaline is a hell of drug. That girl would probably soon regret it. Minji just shrugged it off, taking steps back to her seat.

Whatever timing the world had, it had to hate Minji. The teacher walked in a few seconds later and all the arrows pointed to her. But gladly, the teacher did know that Minji wasn't exactly someone who just breaks chairs for fun, or out of anger.

Much less, did she have a mean bone in her body and so - she was given the chance to explain. Something uncommon, because for some reason, all adults assumed the only one at fault - would be the person still standing there.

She didn't want to rat them out, because the chairs were already dilapidated. The school didn't exactly try to give them the most comfortable, freshly made seating. Everyone just had to make do. These weren't going to hold up for much longer, and no one really used them.

Adding to the fact that it was kind of funny, the entire situation had raised her spirits enough to be on the side of the students.

"I didn't really pay attention to them. They ran away before I could get a good look," Minji told the teacher, with full confidence.

They'd never know if she was lying through her teeth – and they didn't have to know. It would just be a white lie, and this whole thing would gloss over. She didn't exactly want to get involved, or have to become the person who sold out others.

There were a bunch of students outside, all craning their necks to see the destruction, hoping there was some sort of fight, or something to get excited about. Morbid curiosity got the better of all. After the teacher shooed them away, he told the students of his class to enter and the rest to leave for their own classes.

The students got in, whispering about something, but all of it was about random rumours and then the class went on. Her friends sat on the chairs next to her, and Minji told them what happened, but not divulging many details.

No one really cared for the chairs, except for the teacher, who was fuming about 'breaking school property' and whatnot. Half their time was wasted in his lecture about being responsible and something about 'becoming adults soon'.

When the bell rang and signalled that the class had ended, Minji left quickly for her next class, to avoid people snooping for details about the incident.

A few periods later, the principal announced over the loudspeaker that there would be a short assembly after lunch. That never really happened often. Also considering that the Economics teacher was mad, Minji guessed that the teacher had taken it personally - for whatever reason. He had complained to the higher officials, that the students weren't behaving properly.

At least, this would waste more time and she would have less homework for the day. Of course, who didn't get excited when something finally happens at school?

The students orderly headed towards the small school hall and stood, waiting for the address to start. It was slowly getting packed with more and more students, and a few of the school staff stood at the front near the microphone. They told the students to get into alphabetical order in groups split by their respective years.

Minji was unconsciously looking for the girl and her group of friends in the crowd, and finally spotted her. They locked eyes, and funnily enough, the girl had to stand quite close to her. They probably shared the same surname and were the same age, Minji thought to herself.

The girl gave her a wide grin, apparently knowing that she hadn't sold them out, or, of course, she'd probably be getting punished for being a destructive and violent individual. She started switching places with other students and soon she was standing right next to Minji.

"I'm fine. Thanks, I guess."

She laughed loudly after her statement, and definitely didn't look like she had just survived a hard fall off a broken table. The students in front of them turned back out of curiosity and gave them both a quick glance.

"I didn't get the chance to reply to your question back there," the girl added, as she gestured with her thumb behind her, "but I didn't want to get into trouble."

Minji just smiled, she guessed it was common for the girl, to go around finding random props and having fun. Some people had the personality of turning anything into a form of comedy and enjoyment. Their days must be filled with a lot of laughter.

"I know. I didn't tell them anything, if you were wondering," Minji replied after a pause, giggling, her eyes like crescent moons.

The girl looked at her with a playful smile and they were silent for a few seconds.

"I'm Kim Bora," she told Minji, introducing herself with an instinctive, short head bow, her voice a little quieter this time.

It actually didn't make sense why Minji didn't know recognise her already. She had seen the short girl around, a few times before, and they had shared a few classes over the years.

Not to mention, Kim Bora was 'kind of' famous for winning numerous dance competitions in the district, and also as a part of the school. Minji just didn't register it instantly back then, and there had been many students whose faces became familiar throughout her years spent here.

She only really knew a few of them personally.

"Kim Minji, at your service." she said, shifting her weight to her other leg, tilting forward with one hand on her chest, so that she'd appear to bow.

"What on Earth? Who the hell introduces themselves like that?"

Bora already found her to be quite unusual. It was apparent that they'd probably get along because of it, though - because it was a big statement coming from her.

They both laughed and the students in front turned back once again, puzzled. The assembly hadn't even started yet, so what exactly were they even making fun of?

She actually did know of Minji - the two had been in the same school for quite a while, though never sharing more than a few classes over the years. After a while, Bora got used to seeing her around the school's campus, but they had never actually met and been introduced so far. It was nice to put a name to the face.

When the principal finally got onto the small stage-like pedestal, he gave a short greeting to the students and staff present, and apologized for taking time out of their classes. His voice boomed through the speakers, a shrill irritable screech coming through it afterwards.

That's what they got for using cheap equipment, Bora mused.

He went on, about how the students of their school must be responsible, as they are a reflection of the school - and should act accordingly. It all became boring quickly, and none of the students were really paying attention - but they did maintain decorum thankfully.

They let the students leave after forty long minutes of getting scolded, at which point everyone started to prefer the classrooms and the teachers droning their lectures.

Siyeon came to find Minji after it, having heard some of the funny rumours spreading. The thing about rumours was, they'd spread no matter what, and they only got more and more bizarre with each student adding their own spice into the mix.

She saw Minji walking next to Bora, but didn't really register the shorter girl and pulled on Minji's hand.

"Unnie, did you hear what happened?"

Siyeon knew it was a stupid story and extremely farfetched, but at least they'd get a good laugh out of it.

Minji turned around to her, finding her hand already in Siyeon's palms - pinching away. She had a cute habit, and Minji, just about let her do whatever she wanted. It wasn't uncomfortable - but was a perplexing sight to Bora, who stood a few feet away from them.

She reiterated the version of the story she'd heard, something about huge rats in the class, and how some girl had sat on it and then, threw a chair at it in self-defence, which broke another window. Well, at least they had the 'broken chair' part right.

Having been a part of the actual situation, both Bora and Minji burst out laughing. How did people even come up with this?

Siyeon laughed along with them, even though she was the one telling the story - and for a second - the only sounds were silent laughter and Minji clapping like a seal.

Bora then said, "Am I the rat, or the girl?" - and the two older girls went right back to laughing.

There was visible confusion on Siyeon's face. So, Minji knew the girl? She looked at Minji expectantly, trying to be polite and waiting to be introduced.

"Siyeon-ah, this is Kim Bora - the rat from your story."

Bora slapped Minji's shoulder, although a bit too forcefully and tried to soothe the pain. They already had a 'make fun of each other' relationship, and they'd only really known each other for about an hour or two.

She gave Minji a pointed look, dramatically pretending that she was offended to be called a rat.

Bora recognised the other girl, only because she had been following Siyeon's Instagram account and obviously - the Dance Club rivalled the Music Club for funding every year. One of the clubs got the better room to practice in, and more opportunities for competitions - with the school being quite small and underfunded. Naturally, the Dance Club President had to keep a track of the competitors.

But, truthfully, Bora just enjoyed listening to her singing, there was a reason for her popularity and it spoke levels. Siyeon's aura was kind of intimidating, like a wolf waiting to be challenged.

Minji, wouldn't agree - having seen the sides of Siyeon that were alike to that of a five-year-old. Her random bouts of childish sounds and habits of pinching Minji all over, hadn't gone unnoticed. But at some point Minji just felt like keeping a stoic face - because it calmed Siyeon down, for unknown reasons.

Siyeon, on the other hand - felt like she'd seen Bora's face somewhere before, but was having trouble placing where, exactly. She was about to ask if they'd met, but decided against it, thinking that she was just remembering wrong.

After they were introduced, Bora gave a look around, trying to find her own group of kiddish friends - when she spotted Yoohyeon from a distance, talking animatedly to one of her classmates. She could probably win a bet on what it was about.

She came over to the trio beelining to Bora - immediately narrating some other form of the infamous story to her, when Siyeon finally remembered where she'd seen Bora before. Yoohyeon's face had smacked the memory out of her skull.

"Aren't you the girl who tore her pants?"

In Siyeon's defence - she had a knack for letting her mouth speak faster than her brain worked. She didn't mean to really say that - she meant it more as just a light bulb going off in her head. It also was the only - or most recent interaction she'd ever had with the girl. Hoping she'd be forgiven - she bowed in apology. At least now, she remembered the girl and Bora.

Yoohyeon was used to being the most teased out of the group. She took it well, and what with Bora being at the top - she had no choice, really. But coming from a stranger, it kind of cemented that she was a confused mess of a teenage student. She laughed it off, trying not to cause an awkward scene.

With the bell signalling that they were still in school and not having a free period - they went their separate ways. But not before Minji and Bora exchanged numbers, and made sure to find their common classes - you know, in case they ever had to stand on chairs again.


	4. do i know you?

When Han Dong started to regain her love for reading, she turned to Minji and Siyeon, asking them for suggestions. She wanted to buy a few books, and spend a few days and weekends, reading through all of it. It would help her get a better grip on the language and culture, even though she had gotten much better already.

They offered to help her search in the school library at some point, but she would rather buy a few books. She had the habit of making out her own notes on the pages, and didn't want to damage any of the precious paper for others. It was much better if she could own them, and do as she pleased - with no anxiety of returning it.

The worst thing would be to realise a month later - waking up in a cold sweat, remembering that she had forgotten to take it back after borrowing it. Paying for overdue books was definitely not on her bucket list, even if it were negligible costs, it was still a punishment.

So, when she walked the streets on a weekend, and ended up taking a different route home one day - she was quite overjoyed to find what looked like a petite store for second-hand books. It wasn't every day that she got lucky and landed up exactly where she would've wanted - if she had known about it.

The store seemed to be small from the outside - but as she walked in past the door frame, the lighting and atmosphere seemed to change. As if, time could pass in years outside and she'd still be here, unaware. A safe haven. It smelled exactly like it should have, a good mix of earthy and pungent. The blissful smell of old books.

It was all she was looking for and more. She quite enjoyed reading casually, yet only managed to make a sporadic hobby out of it. There were days she'd read for hours on end - and then not a single page for weeks, if not months. This store seemed to bring out the eagerness once again, and she couldn't really pick which section interested her the most.

Han Dong spent a few minutes just browsing the titles, running a finger through the spine of the books that popped out the most to her. She definitely didn't feel like she would be able to buy and read most of this, but still didn't feel like leaving all of this behind. For someone else would find the mystical draw that seemed to emanate from these books and act on it.

It was a reader’s paradise, and she knew.

She saw that the main counter was empty, but the door had definitely made a sound of a bell - signifying that a customer had entered, and didn't think she'd be left untended to for too much longer.

Then, as her eyes adjusted fully, she spotted something that really excited her. The book had a traditional Chinese title - one she'd read long ago, as a child.

It brought back good memories, and while she had forgotten most of its contents, it still had a calming effect on her. Nostalgia, when not bittersweet - was a welcome feeling.

Han Dong jumped a bit when someone else from behind her reached out for the book. Whoever it was, they had made no sound at all - like a ghost.

Adding to the mysteriousness of the store, it sent shivers down her spine, even though she could see that the other was a living, breathing person. She almost blurted out a yell, but somehow managed to keep it in, although she definitely gave off the impression of being jolted.

"Sorry. Did you want that book?", the girl had a black hoodie on, only adding to the eeriness, apologising for both scaring her - and potentially stealing her book.

"No, it's fine."

Han Dong didn't really want to read the book again, but it would have been nice to skim through it a little. A shame.

"You can have it if you want," the two stared at each other, motionless, "there's probably copies of it at the back."

"I just wanted to look at it. I've read it before, so it really is fine," Han Dong told the stranger, putting her hands up to show that she in fact, didn't want it.

As she got a better view, it became apparent that the girl was holding a few other books as well. She narrowed her eyes and read the titles. There were more than a few Korean novels in the gap between her arm and body.

It looked cute, like she was armoured by books. The girl probably enjoyed the pass-time, or had a thirst for knowledge. Or both.

The stranger politely chose to get out of Han Dong's way, going on another hunt for books. Fascinated, Han Dong wanted to follow her. Not creepily though, she was just interested in what the girl would find. She definitely had good taste, because the book they both had interest in - was quite popular, and for a reason.

Not to mention, the other bunch of books she surrounded herself with.

Han Dong took a leap of courage, and took a few steps towards her to ask for suggestions. She didn't really know what to look for or where, but was determined to leave with at least one book. And of course, she'd come back often. This place had a good first impression, even if she did get scared half-to-death by another customer.

"I don't want to bother you, but could I ask for a suggestion?", she asked timidly.

She didn't know if it was unwelcome, the girl might just want to have her own time, and here she was intruding. When the girl didn't reply immediately, she spoke up again, just to get interrupted.

"Never mind, I just wanted-"

"What are you looking for?" the girl seemed to have taken a moment to digest the question, but poised herself. It wasn't everyday, that a stranger came up to you asking for book suggestions.

Han Dong took a moment to think, of how to put it into words.

"Something to improve my language skills," she replied. "Or anything literature, if possible."

The girl motioned her to follow. With the way she walked, she probably knew the layout of the entire store. To Han Dong, it was quite the maze. She'd easily get lost, and with there being less than a few people around, she wasn't sure she'd make it out without losing her mind.

One day, she'd walk these halls with the confidence of the one in front of her.

She walked behind the girl expectantly, until they reached the section titled 'Old Classics'. The books on the shelf looked aged but not too fragile. They were well preserved.

The girl looked at her expectantly, as if telling her to choose one. She did, but a hand stopped her, a disapproving sound coming out of her lips.

"I wouldn't choose that."

Taken aback, she chose a few more, but the girl seemed to be messing with her. Any book she chose was 'wrong' or a 'bore', which led to Han Dong getting frustrated. She just wanted a book, for God's sake. It didn't have to be this complicated.

"Can't you just choose one for me?"

"You can pick any of them, why do you need my approval?" she rebutted, confidently.

Wasn't it obvious? The Chinese girl had asked her for help or a recommendation, instead she had to play a game of morals and choices. She didn't understand if she herself hadn't been clear about that, or the girl just wanted to teach her a lesson. Alike to that of a play, from mythology. Fitting, though. The girl would definitely be able to play the part, with her lack of presence and mysterious aura.

But then, a great idea struck her. She didn't want to waste any more time getting her taste for book covers and titles trampled on. Humans liked aesthetics, and while it's been said for years to not judge a book by its cover, there was a reason people like sparkles and pretty things.

Han Dong stole a book from the girl's collection in her hands, quicker than she could react.

"This one looks nice. Are you going to say this isn't good either?" Han Dong gloated, a smug look on her face that would rival the most mischievous of all.

The girl raised her eyebrows - didn't expect that, probably.

"Not bad. You can have it. Consider it settled, for stealing your book from before."

"I told you, I've already read it. But thank you anyway."

The girl only smiled. She'd done her job of training her. Han Dong felt giddy for some reason, like she'd passed some test of life - after being told she couldn't. She didn't have a clue what the book narrated though.

"What is it about? The book, I mean."

"You tell me. I haven't read it either, I just picked it up."

They both kept silent for a second, before giggling. Of course, she hadn't read it yet. But Han Dong still had other unanswered questions, starting with why the girl was taking time out of her day to confuse her at all.

With their little game coming to an end, and the store owner finally returning to his spot near the cashier counter - the two of them got into line to pay.

They still managed small talk, and Han Dong even waited for the girl - who's name she later learned was Yubin - to finish paying for the five books she'd picked out. It would have been six, but of course, she herself managed to snag that one.

"I'll lend you the book after I'm done with it," she told Yubin, "and then you can give me another suggestion."

"Technically, you swiped that book from my hands, so it would be the first suggestion."

Han Dong didn't have a way to put her comeback into words (though she felt the need to playfully say 'You were being annoying.' but she didn't.)

And so, the girl continued.

"But I guess I'm fine with that."

Over the course of two weeks, the two would meet often at the store, stopping and chatting for a bit, about books and other works in general. Han Dong learnt that the girl had an interest in the Chinese language, and offered to assist. The roles between them changed - with Han Dong giving her titles she recommended, instead. The younger girl would finish the books too quickly, and she was almost running out of books they could actually find available to buy.

Even though they were still in the early stages of getting to know each other - they understood each other's boundaries already. For instance, Yubin wasn't exactly outwardly (overly) affectionate. She still had her moments though, and Han Dong definitely didn't mind. The days for that would come.

Yubin was glad to have someone to whom she could rant her enthusiasm of books to. It helped that Yubin was the most patient person Han Dong had met, and the fact that she already knew a bit of Chinese only served to fuse their relationship much quicker. They tried to casually converse in it, but ended up laughing because Yubin pronounced something slightly wrong and it gave a wholly different meaning.

When they'd met, Yubin had been searching for her monthly binge-able books. Sometimes she got lucky and found absolute gems, and some others, would be a lesson. Being an avid book-reader gave her something to fill the free time with. She was quite interested in Korean Literature and would probably end up pursuing it in higher studies. For now, though, these would have to do.

Most of her pocket money went into these books, which she kept neatly shelved in her room. In some particular order that only made sense to her, right next to her collection of fridge magnets that she'd stuck on her metal bookshelf rim.

Today, they didn't exactly end up buying anything from the store, choosing to take a break instead. They would have their class tests coming up soon, and the grip of non-academic books was too strong to break, especially with the threat of having to study looming over one's head.

And so they'd walk slower than usual. By this point they had even met in school, passing in the hallways and a quick double take of 'don't I know you from somewhere?' - leading to Gahyeon being absolutely confused. All of Yubin's friends, were Gahyeon's friends and vice-versa. The two were kind of a unit that came together.

The two were excited, it was unexpected to run into each other in school of all places. They'd been walking past each other at school all these days, and never knew. From the chance meeting they had, to ending up becoming companions, it was quite a fun story to tell.

After explaining to her about how they'd met, Gahyeon understood perfectly. Yubin and her love for reading. She agreed with Han Dong about how weird it is that Yubin walked around with no presence - and the duo suddenly became a trio.

Fridays, were the days people went out to have fun, naturally. The weekend was good, sure, but the thought of having two days off this week (thank god it was one of those weeks) - had Gahyeon's appetite brewing already. It had the added advantage that you'd have two days to get over the food coma.

Han Dong quickly settled in with the two childhood friends, and quite easily at that. They were welcoming, and comfortable and a million other nice words. After the first few experiences at school - Han Dong didn't think she'd find anyone else, for everyone had their own groups already and people rarely deviated from that. To be a solo person in the midst of so many little cliques, had its obvious drawbacks. So, to find her place here, was nothing short of a miracle - in her eyes.

They walked the streets, not a care in the world. Anything important would wait for tomorrow, or day after, to be of any real weight. At some point, Gahyeon had taken both her friends' arms and started to swing them around.

The contrast between them was quite funny to think about. On one side, there was Yubin, who didn't mind physical contact and rarely initiated it (but when she did, it made you feel special) - and then there's Gahyeon who couldn't go an hour without absolutely crushing somebody with her entire, although tiny, body. Han Dong enjoyed both sides, there were times she loved to give bone crushing hugs, and times where she just needed her own space to be calm.

And of course, there was the whole 'Gahyeon's as loud as they come', and 'Yubin's as calm as a king who's about to win a war' or at least for the most part.

With Gahyeon heading the small group, they were bound to eat a good meal. She knew the ins and outs of every respectable place to eat within a few good kilometres of school, and probably a few beyond that as well. The girl just had an eye (or stomach, more likely) for good food.

She also loved being the trendy social-media person, who made everyone jealous about what she was off experiencing, like somehow the world they lived in, was different to Gahyeon's.

Yubin had known enough to know that Gahyeon was the only person she'd trust with a job like this. To eat is to live, and to eat good food, well, few things came close.

"Is there something you wanted to try and didn't get the chance to, yet?" Gahyeon asked her, ready to walk however long necessary until they got to the best.

There were a few on-going food trends, and what would it be to the youngest if she didn't already know them all. She had to keep her spot as the number one food blogger in her entire district. Han Dong didn't know most of them, but she was willing to try anything.

"I heard about some pancake thing," she started.

"Ah! The souffle pancake? Great choice," Gahyeon finished for her.

Yubin just nodded next to her, knowingly.

Off they went, hand-in-hand. Gahyeon, she'd guess, knew how to make people comfortable. And as a person who had all the extrovert traits possible, she made for the best idle conversation. They didn't even notice how long they'd been walking until they'd reached already. Han Dong didn't even recognise the streets nearby. She hoped they'd help her find her way back. Well, of course they would.

They chose a spot close to good lighting, it was important for photos. The tables were circular and had a marble finish, truly fancy - and the chairs had the most comfortable cushioning she'd ever sat on. What a luxury. But this would probably mean everything was expensive and lavish.

They took a few pictures together and waited for their sodas. Gahyeon didn't waste time picking the best - making sure the other two were happy with the results - and posted it, making sure to send a few silly ones to her friends.

Minji and Bora had only one class together, but it was still one whole class, spent in absolute disarray. Even if Bora managed to keep herself under wraps- somehow - she would still love to disturb the absolute daylights out of Minji.

Today, they had an extra class for Math, the most boring when you didn't have a clue what was going on. In the final moments, Bora managed to throw a paper at her and get Minji into (inconsequential) trouble, along with her.

For the most part, Minji had tried to focus - and Bora let her, because she didn't really want to interfere with her learning. Minji knew Bora was dying to do something, her fingers idly making sounds with the desk.

But with the teacher ending his class, Bora didn't think it would be that much of a deal if she wrote a note and threw it to her desk.

'You're paying a lot of attention huh?', it said. Childish, sure, but Minji quite liked these things.

It was just to make fun of her, and she would've said it in person after class anyway. But after a long week, even the teachers had quite enough. They just wanted these little gremlins out of their sight, and then they didn't have to put up with all these little pranks - at least for two days. A well needed break, for all.

They got a small scolding - nothing that compared to anything, really. But it did make Bora feel sorry, so she apologized genuinely to the teacher and later, to Minji.

Minji just brushed it off and smacked her, like children would. There was a total of one responsible braincell among them, and most of the time, Minji had a grip on it. But today, it was thrown out the window.

She didn't care, it was a long weekend, and less homework. Granted, the week of tests were still to come, but that was for future Minji to worry about. She'd let herself relax for today. They walked out of the classroom still play-fighting.

Yoohyeon also had taken the time to stay back at the school, doing responsible duties and cleaning up the club rooms and classes. It was apparently her turn, this week. They joined her as they left.

Minji had called Siyeon to make sure she got home safely, and they talked for a few minutes. They had just seen each other in the morning, but it still felt less than desirable to not be walking home together. They shared the feeling, but the day had ended and Siyeon had already left, having her own work to do. Minji told her to call later at night, ending the call with a cute 'bbyiong~'.

Since Bora and Minji had become friends, it was natural for Yoohyeon to be extended into that as well. They didn't bother keeping a good face in front of Minji, because they all loved light-hearted teasing. It was the basis of any loving relationship.

It was Bora's turn today, and the most prominent thing to make fun of, was her height. With her being surrounded by the two tallest people she knew, there was really nothing she could do. They tag-teamed insults, hoping to get a reaction out of her - but Bora wanted to win this. She wouldn't let them get the best of her, or so she thought.

"I can't believe Yoohyeon's taller than me," Minji started, faking a pout. She was the tallest everywhere she went, and to see someone beat her in this, was a turn of events.

Yoohyeon just mindlessly nodded - focused on getting on Bora's nerves.

"You know, at some point, I was shorter than you, Bora-unnie. How come you didn't grow at all in the last five years?"

Minji scrunched her nose. That would definitely hurt her pride.

The heat of anger rushed to Bora's face, and sure enough - she made a big show of it.

"Yah Kim Yoohyeon! You better stop it before I bring up your dark past," Bora retaliated.

That was sure to make Yoohyeon shut her trap. It was a 'past' for a reason.

Immediately, Yoohyeon's face drained of colour and she brought a hand up to her lips as a 'Please. I won't say anything more.', waving her other hand as a sign of truce.

This already had Minji interested though. She pestered Bora to show her - just a little bit of whatever it was.

Honestly, Bora didn't need any encouragement. The second Minji showed any interest at all, she had her phone out - pulling up the old videos saved on her phone - one titled 'Today's moon is pretty~' with Yoohyeon's face and a few others having thumbnails of a cute little dog.

At this point, Yoohyeon was attacking Bora. She wouldn't let this happen so easily. This would ruin everything and embarrass her in front of her newly-found friend. It was a horrible, horrible thing to do. Which is why it was hilarious.

Bora had her ways of defending herself. Where all the strength had been stored in her short-self, no one would know. Something to do with being a fit dancer, she'd guess.

She got out of Yoohyeon's hold and held her at bay while Minji fell over with laughter at the sounds of Yoohyeon's unconventional sentences.

Yoohyeon just screeched like a train-horn, at a loss for how to stop any of this. Good Lord, someone had to make it stop.

At the same moment, Bora's phone - pinged a notification. Yoohyeon made sure to mentally thank whoever stopped this abuse.

It was Gahyeon, sending her a photo, along with Yubin and someone else.

The girl definitely had her way of becoming friends with just anyone. It was truly something to commend her for.

Minji and Yoohyeon, noticing that Bora had paused her terror - looked over. She tilted her phone so that all three of them could see, forgetting that Minji didn't actually know either of the two yet - at least to her knowledge.

"Oh? Isn't that Dongie?"

"Who?"


	5. in that moment, i recognised you

  
Everyone went through awkward things. Whether it was a presentation you just couldn’t get out of, or waving to someone in the street and realising they weren’t waving at you - it was universal.  


Still, no matter how many times - whenever it happened, the human nervous system seemed to shut down. All the sane choices, pretended to be greyed out as if it was a video game. It took a few good hours afterward and a lot of deliberation about the situation, to finally think of what should have been said instead.  


Siyeon just wanted to leave. Anything that would get her out of this. Why did the world seem to hate her right now? Both of them would have a better day if this didn’t happen.

  
But no, it just had to.

  
The boy shifted his weight, standing in front of her, surrounded by white, bleak walls. Oh, she’d been through this before. A few times, but somehow it never got easier to turn someone down. She didn’t want to break their hearts but they made it so, so difficult.

  
The small windows behind them shone the evening sun through it, as if to add to the poetry he had written, with her in mind. Mocking her and everything that was ever graceful. 

  
Giving the consideration that he was here, pouring his heart out, she wanted to let him finish. It didn’t help that he was nervously stumbling over his words, having his palm open like a cue card. He kept glancing over at it, and she felt bad for him, truly. It wasn’t effortless at all.

  
Siyeon just gripped the hem of her oversized shirt, hoping for it to swallow her whole. She knew this wouldn’t end well. Hopeless, she tried to keep her expressions safe from discomfort – out of courtesy.

  
At first, she thought it was a prank. She laughed a bit, until she slowly realised he was serious.  


From her past experiences with this sort of thing – she knew to let him down easy. She couldn’t handle it if she’d said something to further his pain. But the more she said, the worse it would get.

  
As he finished his torturous poem, she could only give him a sorrowful face.  
  
  
Siyeon took a deep breath.  
  
  
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, glancing at him.  
  
  
With his shoulders losing the fake confidence, and his crestfallen face, she felt the need to go on.   
  
  
“I don’t feel the same way.”  
  
  
She hesitated for a second. Should she say she’s focusing on other things? Give any excuses? He must somehow understand, right?  
  
  
“But why not? We talked in class and everything. I even have your pencil!” 

  
Of course, that was totally viable (not really). Talk to someone a few times, and then wedding bells would start to ring. What on Earth was she supposed to say? Was the guy looking for a ten-page thesis?  
  
With each passing second, she felt the rising need to run. Maybe she could say that she had something really spicy to eat, and really had to leave. Or something along the lines of, ‘I will actually kill you if you don’t leave me alone.’  
  
But Siyeon didn’t have the heart to say it. She couldn’t even manage an angry expression. It would only make him confused, and then who knows when this would end.  


“Look, I don’t want to break your heart. Please accept my answer.”

  
The boy didn’t look like he could fathom what she was saying. Siyeon had been blunt enough to keep him quiet though.

  
She would hope to leave – and possibly change schools too, since now that his entire friend group knew they weren’t going to be the happy high-school sweethearts that they’d hoped for. And soon the story would spread.  


It was all downhill from here, she thought to herself. 

  
They just stood in horrible silence and it felt like a year would pass just with them standing here. His friends were behind him - waiting for either of the two to say something. That was, until a saving grace interrupted.

  
“Alright. That’s enough,” someone finally said.  


It was enough to get their attention away from the unpleasant conversation the two had been having. The boy was slowly getting pulled away by his friends, consoling him on his unsuccessful conquest of love.

  
“Let’s go.”

  
She stared right at Siyeon, with her hand outstretched.

  
Thank God for Kim Bora. Sincerely. If the girl hadn’t showed up and whisked her away, she might have just decided to go to another city and start a new life. She would probably force Han Dong and Minji to come with, though.

  
  
Bora was nice enough to not ask about it. Siyeon would guess that she related to the feeling quite well.

  
It wasn’t like she didn’t respect the boy – he had guts for confessing. But really? Professing your undying love to a girl that you’d barely talked to – including once for borrowing a pencil (which she now regretted giving him) – was kind of naive.

  
Either way, even if the boy and her had talked more – Siyeon just didn’t bother with dating at all. It would hit her in the face at some point, she hoped, but for now her sole focus was herself. It was probably a good decision, because she would see her fellow classmates, often crying over break-ups and all the heartache that came along with it.

  
She didn’t see the reasoning behind running after love, already. It wasn’t as if - once she hits adulthood, that she’s going to never get the chance. She believed in the contrary - that her life had barely begun and that time would come for such things.

  
At some point in the future, sure, she’d probably devote herself to finding someone, but it hardly seemed like a necessity right now. Secretly though, everyone wanted the ‘love-at-first-sight’ they’d read in books, and she wasn’t different in that regard. But she kept it confined.

  
Siyeon initially couldn’t find the words to express her gratitude. It was more than enough that she’d said something to get her out of it, but she took the time to walk with her, prohibiting anyone else from asking about it. Of course, Bora must have been curious, as people were, and Siyeon would tell her if she asked.  


Instead, Bora opted to say something else entirely.  


“You know I’ve followed you on Instagram for a while,” she began. “I didn’t think we’d ever meet though.”

  
Right. Siyeon did remember seeing the notification among many others, a while back. She didn’t think much of it though. People followed each other all the time, and this wasn’t anything great. But for some reason, she did go onto her page and look at it – as if to see it from someone else’s perspective.

  
“Oh. Thank you.”  


Even if Bora had saved her from an awkward situation, it still didn’t help with the inner cringe that had made itself comfortable in her mind. She would need a good night’s rest - or several weeks’ worth - to get all this discomfort out of her system.

  
“And thank you for, um, getting me out of that,” Siyeon said after a few seconds.

  
Bora gave her a sympathetic smile.

  
Siyeon didn’t know how to keep the conversation going. At least Bora was trying. So, she talked about the one glaring thing they had in common.

  
“I heard you and Minji-unnie had an extra class together.”  
  
  
  
Siyeon had gone over to Minji’s house on the weekend. Sure, she was exhausted - and so was Minji, but the weekend was the reset button they’d needed. It was time well spent, plus they’d both enjoyed having late night talks.

  
They chatted as old friends do, and made sure to entertain Minji’s family for some time as well. At this point, she was an extended part of it. She definitely belonged there.  


The two got onto the topic of their homework and classes – about how tiring it is already. Something common for everyone - having to balance all of it with only twenty-four hours in a day.

  
Siyeon wanted to bring up her own inner conflict that day as well, but decided against it. She didn’t want to take away from what Minji was talking about. They had talked about it too many times anyway, and always came to the same result.  


She had a bad habit of facing everything by herself, out of consideration. Siyeon just disliked being a burden, even though Minji had told her numerous times to just trust her with anything. But she had definitely gotten better.

  
Plus, Minji was visibly exhausted – she would rather just be there to listen and aid her somehow. Siyeon would get her chance.

  
After the adorable whining about how they couldn’t talk as often, Minji had brought up her Math class and went on, about how she discovered Bora’s other friends knew Han Dong. Then, the topic of Yoohyeon’s videos came along – and this time, Siyeon remembered where they’d met.   


They exchanged stories, both of them howling in fake pain and closing their eyes tightly - experiencing second-hand embarrassment at the thought of going through something similar.

  
Awkward situations made its way into everyone’s lives, and observing another person feeling it, was all the more difficult. Still, she showed Siyeon the videos (courtesy of Bora), replaying them until neither could handle the pain in their stomachs from laughing anymore.

  
Minji later promised to fully introduce the younger girls. It was also fun to tease Yoohyeon again, so she’d definitely remember.  
  


  
“Did she tell you that I got her into trouble?” Bora stated, laughing together with Siyeon.  


Siyeon had heard. It was just a passing comment in the middle of the larger story about how they figured out they were connected through friends of friends – namely Han Dong.  


Minji had told her about Han Dong meeting new people – friends of Bora’s, with a proud glint in her eyes. Siyeon shared her sentiments. It made her glad to see the girl getting more comfortable. Slowly but surely.

  
“She’s a total kid, isn’t she? I can’t believe we’re the same age!” Bora said, raising her voice a little at the end.

  
That much was true. Responsible and reliable as Minji was, her immaturity was very prominent too. Siyeon had the most first-hand knowledge about that. Minji had her ways of balancing the two – something that made her all the more endearing.

Bora was trying to keep Siyeon’s mind off of the cringe-fest that had just occurred. It was one thing to turn a guy down when he’s got poetry written for you, but with other people watching, it just became too much to handle for anyone.

  
Then, she spotted the key-chain hanging off of Siyeon’s bag. It was a cute little blue and red shield with a silver star in the middle. Bora would know that logo anywhere.

  
“You’re a Marvel fan?” she enquired enthusiastically, pointing to the key-chain.

  
Siyeon had probably watched every Marvel movie that had come out. Especially ones with Captain America – more than once. Heck, her entire bed was made out of merchandise – from her bedsheets to pillowcases and little figurines on her bedside table.

  
She looked at the smaller girl, her face instantly brightening up. Now this was a never-ending topic.  


Dramatically, she took out the small piece of merch and showed her how the inner circles turned like a fidget spinner – a ‘totally’ cool addon to the cute little gadget. Bora was absolutely hooked. She made sure to ask where Siyeon had bought it from.

  
They talked about their favourite superheroes, and Bora obviously guessed hers right – anyone could. The two made a schedule to have a marathon of the movies sometime soon.

  
When the two reached the divide in the road, they stood off to the side. Neither of them wanted to go home yet. They had so much to talk about, still.  


Siyeon found the older girl hilarious, and the heights of her hysterical behaviour was something she could definitely get used to.

  
On the other hand, Bora was glad she could somehow lift the younger girl’s spirits. She’d often undertake the task with her friends – trying her best to make fun of anything to put a smile on their faces. And when it worked, she felt rightfully accomplished. Plus, Siyeon matched her tension quite well and that made everything feel nice.  


They said their goodbyes, with Bora turning back every few seconds to say another syllable of her sentence – her hands cupped near her lips. Louder and louder until Siyeon was sure, everyone in the entire street was looking at them like they were crazy.

  
Siyeon brought a hand up to her face, suppressing her giggles. Sure, it was embarrassing, but then again, not really. She’d been through worse. This time, it was welcome.

  
She frantically waved back at Bora, hoping she could still see her. Bora made sure to use her entire body, jumping half her height, for their final ‘bye’ and hopped away, trying not to miss her form of transport.  


For the rest of her journey back home, the smile wouldn’t leave her face. She was glad to know someone who could, so easily, make things light hearted. 

For the same reason, since she was so enthused, this made her confident in telling her parents - that she was going to try her luck. She had heard from another member of the Music Club, about the competition - and she didn’t want to pass up a good opportunity.

“Can you drive me to this competition?” 

She should’ve picked a better day, or maybe, she shouldn’t have said anything at all. 

As always, it only led to them getting too serious about it. If they did support her, it wasn’t apparent right now. She tried to tell them it was just an audition - and she wasn’t being sold on the market the second she tried it out. They refused to listen, as parents often do. They only saw one thing - and it was the possibility of failure. 

After a good hour of reprimanding, and some hurtful comments of ‘Why can’t you be like your older sister and behave?’, she didn’t feel like talking about anything ever again. 

Her appetite had faded into the depths, and she almost skipped dinner for the most part. She still had to eat, nothing was tasty but she still gulped it down not wanting yet another lecture.

Siyeon dropped her entire body weight onto her small bed, sighing deeply under her covers. Maybe she’d gotten ahead of herself. She wanted to rebel though, and everything about the situation made her feel like she should go anyway and do her best, just to prove them wrong. The anger fueled her thoughts - she had to at least try. 

But, how would she get there, and back - without them noticing? She’d have to skip school for the day, not to mention - spend a lot if she was planning on getting a taxi to and fro. It simply wasn’t viable. She couldn’t take the subway either, because the subway sucked. It gave her bad vibes, and she refused to get on one.

Siyeon unlocked her phone, thinking, maybe she’d send a text to the group chat and get some encouragement. But then, she saw the time - and debated if it was worth it. They’d be asleep, surely. 

She’d spent a few hours angrily tearing up hugging a pillow, and time hadn’t stood still for it. 

In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to disturb them, once again feeling like a burden. God, these emotions were horrible to feel, especially by herself. Though, she wasn’t sure if anyone could help right now.

Siyeon didn’t get much sleep that night.

Over the next few days, Siyeon tried to get over it by herself. It was becoming more and more apparent to Minji and Han Dong - that something had happened. She wasn’t usually so irritable, and quiet, as if spacing out.

It was stupid. They’d notice, of course. Minji confronted her, apologising for some reason - like it could ever be her fault, and Siyeon felt her heart tug. See, this is why she kept silent about it. Lunch was probably better if your friend wasn’t trying her best not to cry beside you.   
Siyeon assured them - it definitely wasn’t something either of the two had done. 

“What is it then?” 

It would’ve been easy to just lie about it. Actually, no it wouldn’t. Seeing them so concerned for her, brought out the water-works. Honestly, she thought she was doing a good job until now. She didn’t keep it shackled for long. 

She was sniffling, trying to be ‘strong’ about it. If she started to explain - this would never end. And they still had half a day of classes to get through.

Han Dong just held her hand between both of hers, offering just her companionship - knowing words would be useless. Siyeon appreciated it a lot.

Minji, on the other hand - also began tearing up. She didn’t like seeing her friends sad, and even if Siyeon was a big baby at times - it still felt off to see her cry. She gave Siyeon a head pat - and gathered herself.

“You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to,” Minji quickly said.

She felt sorry for asking. If Minji had known it was the thin line between Siyeon holding it all together - she wouldn’t have said a word. Now Siyeon had to deal with a clogged up nose, plus whatever was actually troubling her for the entire day.

“No - I just,“ she started, sighing in between, “It’s my parents again. I didn’t want to bother you guys, there’s nothing to fix.” She took a pause, wondering if she should just spill everything.

“Did they say no?” Han Dong asked - her voice as quiet as a whisper. 

They had all been there at the meeting, when the club president announced the contest was being held - at the other end of the city. It was a big thing, with most of the members at least vaguely interested in participating.

“Kind of. They aren’t exactly excited for me,” she said - her voice wavering a little, close to tears again. She really didn’t want to continue - hoping they’d leave it at that for now. 

If heartbreak was a sound - it was exactly what Siyeon’s voice sounded like just then. The two gave each other a look of affirmation - they’d find out later, what exactly happened. For now, it wasn’t worth it.

At a loss for what to do, they just held her quietly, helping her clean the tears. When the bell for class rang, they refused to move until Siyeon had gotten the pieces of her heart back together strong enough. Yeah, they’d be late - but how’s a scolding going to compare to the pain of a friend?

  
They walked her to class, both still quite close to her. It was warm. She felt a weird spot of happiness - she knew they cared for her deeply. If silver linings were a thing she cared about, this would be it, probably.

Siyeon gave them a strong smile, telling them that she would get through the day. They wouldn’t have to worry too much, she hoped. Somehow though, she knew she wouldn’t pay attention for the rest of her classes, at least not enough to really learn anything.

When she told them everything, Han Dong reacted quite explosively. It wasn’t exactly expected of her, but the reason made sense. 

She came from a family who wholeheartedly supported her, enough to let her go to another country to realise her dream. It didn’t make any sense to Han Dong for one’s own family to be against it. Especially not when Siyeon was this incredibly talented.

Siyeon did understand her parents’ reasoning though, but it was getting increasingly difficult to keep excusing it. At some point, they’d have to give in and let her try at least once. Or she’d just do it anyway, without their knowledge.

Minji, to her surprise, actually suggested it right after.

“Why don’t we just go anyway?” 

It was hard to get Minji angry. She just laughed everything off, and if anything, cried a little. Not to say that she would suppress it like Siyeon herself did often, but somehow things didn’t affect her as negatively. This, however, had ticked her off.

“What do you mean? How would we even get there, and back in time? It’s expensive, and they’d notice for sure,” Siyeon answered quickly, knowing the risks of even trying, because she’d already thought it through.

“We could all pitch in. I’d love to come, just to see you audition, unnie.” 

“Plus, who cares if they notice? You’d already be done with it anyway,” Minji added.

Something about Minji of all people, wanting to break the rules, just spurred her on. Siyeon was almost convinced already.

Here she was, surrounded by the support she deserved from her own family. It felt bittersweet. They were fully ready to go the distance with her, and she was so thankful to have them in her life. 

If Siyeon felt awkward saying it before, right now felt like the perfect moment. 

“I love you guys.”

She gave in. 

“Yes!” 

Anyone who’d see the three just dancing in joy, as if they’d won a million won from the lottery, would surely think they’d gone mental. But no, they were just expressing the thrill that comes from knowing you’re about to do something that was specifically prohibited.

They shared a long hug. Squished in the middle of it all, was Siyeon.

“I love you too, Singnie! You finally said it too,” Minji giggled, raising her eyebrows up and down. 

The girl never missed a chance to tease her. 

“I also love you, by the way,” Han Dong said, twisting her face into a scowl, as if she was left out.

She wasn’t. The two older girls pulled her right back into a bone-crushing hug repeating the words right back to her. 

Now, for someone who loves hugs, and anything involving physical intimacy, Bora definitely didn’t pass up the option to join. She saw the three giggling about something from afar, and her spidey-senses started to tingle. 

“Hey, where’s my hug?”

Bora crashed into them, almost toppling everyone to the floor. Thankfully, they all held on to each other and kept their balance, all except for Han Dong.

Bora caught her just in time, saving her from a great loud plop onto the floor. Han Dong gave her a sharp look, but then the two gave off a melodious cackle and Bora smacked her arm like it wasn’t her fault at all.

All expected, if Bora’s involved. 

“What’s going on here then? Are you guys doing something naughty?”

She fully meant the double-meaning. But mostly, she was just curious - and wanted in. Everything was more fun if there was something slightly mischievous involved.

This would have been a long conversation, but they just cut to the chase and explained the ending - and now there were four of them, about to share a taxi in the coming weeks. Siyeon doubted if the car could handle it all. 

Bora had also heard about the competition. Her friend Yoohyeon had expressed wanting to go, but she wasn’t able to find the time. She found this the perfect opportunity to convince her. And what better way, than a road trip? 

Either Minji or Gahyeon would have to drive, being the only two people she knew with driving licenses. 

Minji refused, because she had no real experience, and had gotten her license as a challenge against Siyeon. She didn’t want to cause an accident, all because she forgot what button to press for switching on the turning signals.

Well, that meant Gahyeon. That was fine, she’d gotten it this year after turning sixteen, all excited.

They’d need Yubin, because they’d probably end up lost without her. She was the only one capable of keeping a level head amidst all the chaos. Plus, Gahyeon wouldn’t go anywhere without her, and neither would Yoohyeon. 

The only problem was finding a car to host seven high school students, and renting it out. 

Seeing Bora contemplate all this aloud, Siyeon felt she was getting ahead of herself. 

“Wait, wait. I’m not even sure we’re going.” 

“What do you mean? There’s no reason not to!” 

So, they argued a little, with Minji and Han Dong supporting the latter. 

Bora won, of course, Siyeon had no real basis. She just wanted to refute it, because she was kind of nervous. Was she really going to do this?

When Yoohyeon had mentioned her interest to Bora, she didn’t expect to be greeted by a group of four people, all looking at her expectantly - waiting for an answer. 

She just thought it would be fun to try out singing again.

At her old middle school, she’d participated and won a bunch of music competitions - but didn’t bother to pursue it further, here. She didn’t feel good enough, and a bunch of insecurities built up along the way. She wasn’t accepted into the music club, for whatever reason - Yoohyeon would swear it’s because she’s a terrible singer.

She most definitely was not. Bora would attest to that quite violently.

Since Bora didn’t want her to be left out, she suggested she join the dance club. And that was history. Yoohyeon had so much talent, it didn’t make sense. Bora quickly found out how easy it came to her, in awe that the girl could just pick it up that quickly. 

Even if Yoohyeon was humble about it all, she still wanted to know she was capable of doing well, or could at least win something if she really tried. Which is why, when she found out about this competition being far away, she felt the need to go.

Because, if she failed, no one around here would really know. It would be her secret. 

She was completely wrong. Yoohyeon didn’t recognise that the contest was so popular, that people from all the neighbouring schools, including their own, would be attending. So much for being inconspicuous.

Now that Bora had given her a chance to really go, she felt suddenly motivated again. It would be fine, even if people found out. There wasn’t anything to lose, except dignity, and she didn’t think, after the pant incident, that she had much left anyway.

So, she agreed.

All that was left, was to convince Gahyeon and Yubin to get them there safely. Probably the most difficult part.

“No.” 

“What? Why not?” Bora whined.

“I’m not going on a road trip and get us all killed. Thank you, but I’d like to make it to heaven.” 

Gahyeon had her answer set in stone. Or so, she thought. Bora would definitely not let this go without a fight. 

What she was definitely not expecting, was for Yubin to support it all.

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Yubin said, trying to convince her.

Gahyeon was absolutely bewildered. Here she thought Yubin was the sane one, who’d take the decisions to keep them out of the danger that Bora, so often, wanted to run headfirst into.

“How can you possibly think this is a good idea?” 

“Well,” Yubin cleared her throat, “they’re going to go with or without us. Won’t it better to go with them?” 

This much was true. With Bora’s persuasiveness, and Yoohyeon being the most excited she’s ever been - giving her puppy eyes, they’d most definitely leave her here and go. 

“We’ll get snacks,” Yubin added, knowing it was something she couldn’t refuse.

“...Fine.”

They all made a silent fist pump in the air. Now that it was settled, they’d need a car.

“Oh, you’ll have to ask your parents for their car too. Thanks, I’ll text you the details later!” 

Bora and Yoohyeon ran for their lives. 


	6. by your side, always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> imagine a slice of life chapter feeling like a filler. oof.

  
  
Contrary to Bora’s belief, no, Gahyeon’s parents wouldn’t allow her to skip school for a day. Especially not with their one and only expensive SUV to God-knows-where, and definitely not if Gahyeon was the one driving.

  
They barely trusted her to sit in the passenger seat. So, when Gahyeon put on her best charms and good, obeying guise, they didn’t fall for it.

“Why do you suddenly want the car? You can barely see over the steering wheel. It’s a miracle you even passed the test,” he remarked, hoping to find out the whole story.

  
With both her parents giving her a definitive no, there was not even a slight chance of pursuing this further.

“That’s not fair! I can drive just fine. They didn’t give me a license just because I’m cute.”

  
“It’s not going to happen,” a stern voice said, from the kitchen.

  
Gahyeon scowled at the adults, wondering if the best route here would be ‘puppy-eyes Gahyeon’ or ‘I’m-going-to-bring-the-roof -down Gahyeon’. She wanted this too much to give up already. 

  
Plus, Yubin had promised to buy snacks.

  
She didn’t get a chance to choose. Maybe for good reason. They knew it was coming, and thought it best to never let it get there in the first place. 

  
“How about this? If you want, we can take you there as a short vacation...”

  
Her eyes protruded out of excitement, raising her eyebrows to the sky. 

  
As long as they got there, it was fine if her parents came along. They wouldn’t mind, too much, she mused.

  
“...only if you get good grades on your tests, though.”

That was not a bad deal. Gahyeon knew, they just wanted to make sure she was focused on studies as well - and not just running off - leaving her responsibilities in the air. 

She agreed, but then her father added something - and now it was a problem.

“And so do all your friends, who want to come with.” he settled, leaving the room, so that she wouldn’t try to bargain any longer.

With their tests beginning the week after, the news of failure from Gahyeon’s side wasn't helping. They needed something to look forward to - especially if all their exams, didn’t go as well as they were hoping. The contest would have been the fun after-party of a set of disastrous assessments.

  
Siyeon groaned, “Well, there’s always next time.” 

It’s not like they were failing any subjects. But there was a difference between doing well and doing enough. Most of the time, Siyeon gave her best only in the final exams, and did just enough to keep her grades somewhat steady - so that there were no complaints from her parents. 

Yoohyeon and Bora did the same. They were not very focused on being ranked first in their school, or anything of the sort. Not with Bora super fixated on becoming some form of dance professional, and definitely not with Yoohyeon trying her best to get out of every Math class possible.

“We have to at least try, right?” Minji said with faltering determination. 

It was getting bleak. Not only that, Siyeon realised it was starting to not become worth it all. Nothing was worth breaking her head over World History and Calculus.

  
And that’s where Han Dong came in to save the day.

“I can help you with your subjects. I have to study them anyway,” she offered. 

Han Dong had actually topped the school ranks last year. They had quite a bit of fun about it, and the repeating questions revolving around how she even managed to keep her time divided, only made Han Dong prouder about her feat.

Siyeon just blinked, like a child whose nose had been fake-stolen - for a few seconds. This was the only chance she had.

She nodded, accepting all the help she could get.

“How can you possibly think that’s the right answer?” 

Siyeon threw her pencil at the desk and dramatically jumped backwards into her bed. 

She was not having this. It didn’t help that Han Dong was getting increasingly frustrated with her inability to solve these. Well, she was only human after all.

But why did they make such complicated questions? There’s no way they’d really have to sit down and calculate this in real life. Especially not as a singer.

“I give up. I’ll just take a job at McDonalds,” she said, completely vexed.

“Come on. That’s pathetic. Even for you, unnie.”

“Even for me, you said?” 

Siyeon only raised her head slightly off the bed, challenging the claim. 

“I’m just joking, it's actually a difficult job. I'd respect it.” Han Dong laughed at her, pulling Siyeon’s hands to raise her up fully, “But we do have to try harder, this isn’t going to work.” 

Siyeon sat up, propping her face on her hands. Han Dong was trying to help her, after all. She didn’t want to end up annoying her with her attitude.

“Here, I’ll give you a hint.” Han Dong pointed at one part of the question with the back of her pencil, and then twirled it around skilfully, circling the important part. “This means you can use the shortcut I taught you about, see?”

Siyeon felt stupid. This all came too easy to everyone but her, and right now she couldn’t be bothered. But this was all so that she could get the chance to try her luck.

Even if, by the grace of the Gods, she managed to really do well, the real nerves were about getting there, and actually participating. She’d have to stand up on stage, battling it out against people who could very well, be more talented than her.

And then, she’d have to face the fact that her parents were right all along, and come back to another (well-deserved) lecture and scolding.

Han Dong noticed that she was losing her enthusiasm - and decided maybe, it was time for a break. Well, yet another one in the span of half an hour. 

This was no way for Siyeon to lose this fight. She had to prove them wrong. She just had to.

And then, she’d give them a more comfortable life. One where her parents didn’t have to work so hard, every day. They’d finally relax and enjoy the little things she always told them about. 

But also, she wouldn’t have any regrets.

Somehow, with the anticipation of being able to show off her skills in front of real, accomplished judges, accompanied with the fear that she needs to at least pass this subject, Siyeon suddenly pushed herself up and off the bed, with outstanding vigour.

As if somehow, she got struck by motivation from the sky. 

“Give me another one.”

  
They had only taken one break after that - and it was to have their dinner, after which they kept at it until they could barely handle looking at their textbooks anymore. 

It was almost night time, by the time Siyeon got the real hang of it. She must have screamed in absolute joy when she actually solved her tenth straight problem, without Han Dong’s interference. 

The best part was, Han Dong definitely looked proud. 

She tackled her with a hug, and they both fell out of their chairs - pain shooting through their spines. It only lingered for a second before fading, they were too happy to care about being on the floor.

They decided to head over to Minji’s house after calling her. The three had kept texting each other updates about Siyeon’s great war against the subject, with Minji sending enthusiastic and motivational stickers. The fatigue in their bones was a hindrance, but they had to share this in person. 

Minji had told them that Yoohyeon had come over as well, and that this was finally time for Siyeon and Han Dong to get to know her better. They were friends, sure, but only distantly. 

It was more like they knew of each other, and respected that they had friends in common. 

Honestly, it was stupid that they hadn’t talked much before. Siyeon figured, it was probably because they never really had the chance to meet, for longer than a few minutes.

When they arrived, after greeting Minji’s parents at the door, they found her sitting next to Yoohyeon on the sofa - the latter looking at the mobile in her hands, very seriously. 

Minji was super focused on what Yoohyeon was doing - all cuddled next to each other, trying to learn the game herself, and neither had even noticed that the two had entered the room. 

Siyeon and Han Dong took a few pictures of the two, cackling. They would soon send the pictures to Yoohyeon’s number, and then the memes would flow in one by one.

“Yah!” Minji whined, “Why do you still have your notifications on?”

The excessive chat ping sounds kept distracting Yoohyeon’s gaming adventures - and they were about to lose the game.

Yoohyeon tried to ignore it, but they kept popping up and with her having to swipe them away every few seconds, her concentration was broken.

So much for the early lead, they sighed as Yoohyeon didn’t quite manage to get the kill. They came in fourth, and then the two finally noticed there were two giggling goblins in the corner of the house's living room.

“Oh. You came?” 

“We’ve been here for five minutes, unnie. Why didn’t you notice us, at all?” Han Dong raised her eyebrows, teasingly. 

“Wait a minute, seriously? Wow I had no idea,” Yoohyeon replied, embarrassed that she was so into winning, her face pushed into Minji’s side.

They opened the chats, to find their super-serious expressions staring at a screen, and it was too funny to blow over.

“What were you two playing?” Siyeon asked, after making fun of them - being a game addict herself. Finally, a chance for common ground. Sometimes, she wouldn’t look away for hours - trying to get to her goal level, and with the way Yoohyeon had been playing, she knew they were similar. 

Thus, began the onslaught of games. After watching Yoohyeon play one more round of battle royal, they all decided to download some Mario Kart rip-off game, and faced off against each other.

Amazingly, Yoohyeon got along with the other two as if they had known each other for decades, and began taunting them, since she had won the first round. She then proceeded to lose the next three games, with Siyeon and Han Dong alternating their attacks focusing on her. So much for being cocky.

At some point, Minji got tired of losing - still handicapped with the movement of the game. She had probably drove straight into a wall at the very beginning, every single game, and was fed up. 

The three played a bit more, without Minji being a part of it - with her leaving to do some small chores around the house. She could hear the playful insults from Han Dong and Yoohyeon screeching from many, many rooms away.

When she got back with a bunch of fluffy animal blankets, Han Dong had been victorious for the last three games, but they were still having fun and Minji wanted in, this time.

They finally cut her some slack after she repeatedly complained that it was 'no-fun' and decided to get into teams - splitting using the only ‘fair’ game, rock paper scissors. Siyeon won - and chose Han Dong. They had been doing well as a team lately.

Yoohyeon whined that she was on the losing team (Minji’s team was apparently bound to lose) - and wanted to be on Han Dong's, but still played.

The first game, Minji ended up hitting Yoohyeon with all her power ups, and they lost horribly. Yoohyeon begged to change teams, but the other two were quite happy with never allowing that to happen. 

On her sixth try, with sheer dumb luck, Minji ended up first place on the final lap. Somehow, Yoohyeon had hit the other two with traps, perfectly in time with them hitting her.

There were three wrecked karts on the side, waiting to respawn - all while Minji crossed the finish line.

Minji made sure to rub it into their faces. It was finally her little character standing on the golden ‘1st place’ on her screen. She was the only one jumping in front of the sofa with her weird dance moves.

Even Yoohyeon didn’t understand how she went from last place to first in a matter of seconds. 

The three watched her amazed, allowing her happiness for a few seconds, before starting a brutal rematch. 

They weren’t sleepy yet. Sure, they had tests in two days, but the weekend always called for fun - no matter how much was stacked after it.

Minji had made sure to keep up her study regimen after hearing about Gahyeon’s deal with her parents, and felt confident that she would ace her upcoming exams. She’d only hoped that Siyeon and her friends would be able to do the same.

She wanted to go with Siyeon, and as a team. She knew Siyeon needed the support, and this was definitely a memory in the making. One she’d remember much, much later, and still smile about, glad that she decided to do it.

They had switched rooms, and were sitting on the floor beside Minji’s bed, when Han Dong noticed the excessive pink surrounding the room. She asked about it aloud, to no one in particular.

Minji was quite over her pink stage, at this point. It was fun while it lasted, but her love for the colour definitely had subsided over the years. It was still nice - just not enough to have everything from her bath tub, to bedsheets in the same. It was time to let go, and she would make it dramatic when she would finally change them.

She opened her cupboard door to get the folded-up comforters - for the other three to sleep on. It was too late for them to go back home now, and Yoohyeon already meant to stay back, so only Siyeon had to inform her parents about not returning for the night. 

It may have been a mistake to open it in front of them, because now they were all ganging up on her for having ‘racy’ clothes after Han Dong spotted it and asked. She just wanted to make sure they’d be comfortable sleeping, and here they were - raiding her closet.

It was especially funny, because Minji never dressed like this at school. Or anywhere. But for some reason, she just had these outfits ironed and readily stored away - waiting to be worn.

Maybe she had a secret life where she’d walk the streets like a model, but the ‘Minji’ they knew - did not suit these; as ‘innocent’ as she appeared to be.

They made fun of her, but she did enjoy showing off her closet and they marvelled at the sheer amount of clothes tucked away.

Siyeon took a few of the worst ones out, and made Yoohyeon put it on, piling all sorts of weird combinations on her until she looked like an overgrown sheep. Yoohyeon made sure to exaggerate her every move, as if she was a fashion star.

They were choking with laughter, until Minji’s parents came over and told them to go to bed. They had to sleep too after all, and four excited teenagers laughing throughout the night would make that too hard. 

(They left the room, stifling a giggle at Yoohyeon’s expense.) 

They only really fell asleep around three A.M - none of their energy levels still high enough for more than blank chatter. 

With Yoohyeon asleep on the edge of Minji’s bed, and tightly wrapping herself around two out of three blankets with Han Dong, like a koala next to her - there was hardly any space. 

Thank God she had a big bed, and thank god it was comfortable. Being the oldest child, had its perks after all.

They made do, pulling up their legs into a bend, at one corner of the bed. Minji was having the worst time because of her height, but it wasn’t too bad, she could live with it. 

They shared the last blanket, which was all too small, only enough to cover half their bodies. Minji and Siyeon stayed awake a little longer, talking about nothing in particular.

As their sentences got smaller and smaller, Siyeon became pensive, once again in her late-night emotions. Recurring, like all negative thoughts, only just before falling into a slumber. 

“We’ll make it, right?” Siyeon asked in a whisper - her eyes shut tight. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was referring to - life itself, or just the competition.

Minji just hummed in affirmation, not being able to keep her eyes open at all. She wanted to say more, but hoped it was enough. It was, for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short hiatus till after my exams !


End file.
